The present invention relates to a ski binding for use in racing and cross country skiing. More specifically, the invention relates to a ski binding with a keeper element-a clamping mechanism for pulling a ski boot into the keeper element and for retaining it therein.
Modern ski boot sole standards for lighter weight ski boots have created a number of problems, especially in the case of boots of the 50 mm "Nordic Racing Norm" type. This latter boot standard implies a very small ski binding with small contact faces for the boot, and such a binding must be constructed to operate with very small tolerances. Known bindings attempt to satisfy these tolerance requirements by utilizing a substantially plow-shaped keeper element into which the boot is pushed or pulled. This type of binding has the advantage that wear on the front sole portion and on the vertical contact faces of the binding is compensated for by pulling the boot into the binding.
In Norwegian Pat. No. 132.576 there is disclosed a ski binding in which two pins are fixed relative to the longitudinal direction of the ski, are also movable in a vertical direction through a tiltable mounting about a mounting point.
In Norwegian Pat. No. 47.867 a ski boot is pulled into a ski binding either by a hook connected to the frontmost end of the boot or by a device attached to the heel.
Norwegian Pat. No. 107.796 shows a ski binding which is to some extent comparable with what is shown in Norwegian Pat. No. 47.867. A bracket is attached to the boot and a clamping device can, by an adjustable intermediate piece, be brought into engagement with a hook on the bracket, so that the boot may be pulled into and retained in the ski binding. However, it is not advantageous to have such brackets on boots, both because these increase the cost of the boot itself and because bindings consisting of several separate parts require a very accurate, and thus time consuming, installation.
Norwegian Pat. No. 78.1181 relates to a ski binding intended for slalom and down hill racing with a mechanism for releasable blocking of the swing action of the boot heel up from the ski by a rigid, possibly somewhat resilient, arm or plate extending in a rearward direction relative to the keeper element and intended to enter into a channel, an indentation or the like in the heel portion of the boot to thereby cause locking of the heel to the ski. The arm or plate is formed by an extension of the bottom plate of the keeper element or is fixedly attached to the keeper element or the upper face of the ski.
Norwegian Pat. No. 47.051 relates to a ski binding without any rear strap, comprising tabs known per se with inwardly directed projections bearing against the upper edge of the sole. A plate known per se and shiftable in the direction of the ski has on its upper face suitable elements (e.g. spikes) which can be brought into engagement with the lower side of the sole, blocking devices being arranged to prevent the plate when moved between the tabs to be pulled out again, so that the boot, when arranged on the plate and moved therewith in between, will be firmly locked to the ski in coaction with (a) the devices on the upper side of the shiftable plate, (b) the blocking device, and (c) the inwardly bent projections on the tabs. Thus the boot is moved in the longitudinal direction of the ski during the clamping process. The clamping itself is provided by a resilient plate upon which a knob is placed and which is coactable with holes in the plate. If the boot should be of a form to most suitably be clamped by hole number two of the holes, it may so happen that this is not possible and that clamping therefore must take place by the first hole, whereby the risk is that the boot will not fit properly in the binding. The solution is therefore not particularly advantageous in practice.
Norwegian Pat. No. 63.959 relates to a binding consisting of two separate and on-screwable parts, one part consisting of a clamping device with an adjustable intermediate piece and a rear strap loop intended to grip about the heel of the boot.
Norwegian Pat. No. 84.786 relates to a pretensioner for a ski binding where a tensioning device fixed to the ski is connected with the front end of a helical spring, the other end of which for regulation purposes is in threaded engagement with a screw spindle connected to the rear strap. The screw spindle extends through the mechanism supporting the front portion of the straps, and on the rear side thereof is provided with a service button for regulation of the connection and the tensioning is transferred to the rear strap. It is here the case of two separate main parts.
In Norwegian Pat. No. 130.563 there are fixed pins which are brought in engagement with corresponding holes in the toe part of the boot and where a strap may be clamped by way of a clamp over the top of the front sole edge, thus keeping the boot retained in the keeping element of the binding.
The present invention has an object to provide a ski binding which overcomes the many disadvantages of the known bindings and which is simple and cheap to manufacture and advantageous upon installation on the ski.